Round 2: Top 5 best practices for Avoiding pain in castration category  

 Moving forward, the final three winning practices for the Avoiding pain in castration category will be determined soon.

Immunovaccination while feeding

This good practice streamlines immunocastration by synchronizing vaccination with liquid feeding to ensure all pigs are occupied and accessible. To guarantee every animal is at the trough, the farmer reduces the two prior rations to 50% and increases the vaccination-time meal to 150%. During the 150-second feeding window, the farmer can calmly vaccinate and mark all 32 pigs in the pen with minimal stress. This method, supported by sorting pigs by sex, transforms a demanding task into a controlled, efficient routine that ensures 100% vaccination accuracy.  

Insertion and handling of male pigs

To reduce aggression and mounting in entire male production, this practice focuses on strict sex separation and social stability. Upon entering the finisher section, males and females are placed on opposite sides of the feeding troughs and aisles, with males positioned closer to the doors to streamline movement and prevent distractions. To maintain a stable hierarchy, pigs are never mixed or reintroduced into pens once established. Furthermore, the farm follows a strict policy of emptying pens within a three-week window for slaughter to avoid the fighting that occurs when groups are disrupted.

Optimizing feed for immunocastrated male pigs

This good practice highlights the importance of tailoring nutrition when transitioning from surgical castration to immunocastration (IC). After observing that IC males failed to meet their growth potential on standard diets, the farmer implemented a revised feeding program that adjusts protein and energy levels across different growth stages. Specifically, IC males receive a high-protein, high-energy diet until one week after their second vaccination to support their unique metabolic needs, followed by a transition to a lower-density ration.

Raising entire males: castration-free management with pig sexing

To address the physical injuries caused by sexual behavior in organic systems, this farmer implemented sex-segregation at the start of the fattening phase. By using a specially designed building with ergonomic barriers, the farm can efficiently sort 300 animals in just 45 minutes, significantly reducing joint injuries and mortality in females caused by mounting. This approach proves that raising entire males is highly compatible with organic standards and older slaughter ages, resulting in a 3-point improvement in lean meat percentage and a negligible 0.8% incidence of boar taint across the total population.

Avoiding Castration Through Social Management

This good practice focuses on avoiding surgical castration through early sex and size segregation coupled with strict social stability. By separating piglets at weaning and maintaining consistent groups throughout the rearing and fattening stages, the farm achieves uniform growth and superior feed efficiency. Entire males are finished at approximately 110 kg without issues of boar taint or market rejection. The farmer emphasizes that prioritizing group predictability and timely interventions—such as the early sale of aggressive individuals—effectively manages social tension, proving that management-based solutions can completely eliminate the need for painful procedures while maintaining high productivity.